Ever wondered why you cannot find Starbucks in Italy? Or whether Starbucks’ coffee can hold its own on a real Roman cappuccino? Then read on. The opinions diverge on whether Italian coffee needs new inspiration because “it is not what it once was”, or whether America simply has an “overroasting” issue concerning their coffee. Coffee Clash?

Coffee is so central to italian lifestyle (and physical and mental health, probably), that we have no shame devoting yet another post to this invigorating beverage. Please find our earlier post on the art, culture, and variations of coffee in Italy (complete with a directory of legitimate coffee varieties) here – and more coffee-related wisdom in the form of ten commandments here. … Continue Reading

Rest assured that I will not stop writing about coffee any time soon. However, Lee Marshall has come up with coffee-related wisdom so deserving that I will hold back for once, and simply let you enjoy this gem, recently published by the Telegraph (September 2009): … Continue Reading

While coffee beans are neither grown nor harvested in any part of Italy, the coffee roasted and blended here is among the best in the world. Romans are just as proud of their coffee as inhabitants of any other part of Italy. But ‘proud’ is probably the wrong term: Good coffee is considered such an utter necessity that when the famished contestants … Continue Reading